Earlier this month, Jennifer McArtor went online to enroll her kids in Mountain View Elementary’s after-school program for the upcoming school year, only to find out she could not register her rising fifth grader. Through another parent, she was surprised to learn that her daughter might be transferred to Walton Middle School, 10 minutes down the road.
Due to overcrowding at the elementary school, around 115 fifth graders could be sent to Walton in the fall. They’d be taught by Mountain View teachers, but would ride buses with middle schoolers and follow a middle school schedule, which is two hours longer than an elementary school day.
Over the past two weeks, many parents in Albemarle County have called out the school district for its lack of communication and transparency, and registered disapproval about the potential transfer to Walton.
“I don’t think 10-year-olds are [mature] enough to be in a school with middle school kids,” says McArtor, who is the president of the school’s Parent Teacher Organization. “Their conversations are going to be vastly different from what a 10-year-old may be talking about.”
At Walton, parents fear their students will not have access to a playground or after-school care. They also may not have elementary-level guidance counselors, librarians, or teachers for electives like music and PE.
“[Families] are going to be forced to decide, ‘Is my child mature enough to get themselves to the bus stop in the morning and get themselves home from the bus stop?’” says McArtor.
The students will also miss out on being “leaders of their school,” says parent Justin Alicea, pointing to the various leadership positions available to fifth graders.
Additionally, some students would have to move again after just a year because they are zoned for Burley Middle School for sixth grade.
According to district spokesman Phil Giaramita, Walton principal Josh Walton is “in discussions” about adding recreational equipment and after-school programming for the young students.
Families have invoked equity concerns as well. Mountain View is the second-largest and among the most diverse schools in the county, serving many low-income Latino students from the Southwood Mobile Home Park.
“Fifth graders, wherever they live in Albemarle County, should be given access to the same resources and experiences,” says parent Karl Shuve. “How is this equitable?”
Parents also accused the school district of intentionally shutting them out of the decision-making process. During a parent meeting with Mountain View’s principal on May 18, a discussion about the fifth graders was the last thing on the agenda. And during last Wednesday’s community meeting about plans for the upcoming school year, parents claim the administration did little to ease their concerns.
“The county put together a propaganda piece,” says one teacher. “There is an absolute pattern of dismissive behavior for the parents here.”
Administrators have emphasized that the move would just be for one year, and a final decision will not be made until at least the end of June, when the district will have a better picture of what enrollment numbers look like for the fall.
“The school now is approaching 100 students over capacity [and] enrollment for the fall will be over projections once again,” explains Giaramita. “The other factor is the number of families that will select in person as opposed to virtual school.”
The district has set aside $6.2 million to add six classrooms to Mountain View, and plans to look into long-term solutions, like redistricting or building another school. Parents say overcrowding has been an issue for a long time at the school as developments have grown across the county, and the district has been slow to act. They urge the school to consider adding trailers to the elementary school or moving the preschool to a different facility.
Parents would like superintendent Dr. Matt Haas and the rest of the administration to take responsibility for their mishandling of the situation too.
“They should at least say this is our mistake, and we’re asking fifth graders to pay for [it],” adds Shuve.